Darkest Hours, Brightest Hope
by I love dance
Summary: ESB, Han/Leia, Luke. "Though the planet of Bespin was already lightyears away, its memories lingered fresh as the harrowing minutes before. The repercussions as well."
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** Darkest Hours, Brightest Hope  
**Characters:** Han/Leia, Luke  
**Timeframe: **ESB  
**Summary:** Han, Leia, and Luke in the aftermath of Bespin. AU in the sense Han was not frozen in carbonite.  
**Disclaimer:** Just stopping by for a long-due visit to a galaxy far, far away, and borrowing some of George Lucas's characters.  
**Author's Notes:** Originally intended this to be a one-post, but it's gotten rather long, so I'm breaking it up into smaller posts to not completely overwhelm my readers. ;) Comments are welcome and very much appreciated!! :)

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The stars blurred into narrow lines of light, and in a flash a world was behind them.

Not really though.

Though the planet of Bespin was already lightyears away, its memories lingered fresh as the harrowing minutes before. The repercussions as well.

Han Solo released the breath he'd been holding. "Take over," he told his co-pilot. His voice sounded strange in his own ears. He felt like he was dreaming again. Like it was all a nightmare he hadn't woke up from. He wished it was.

Shaking himself back to reality- or what he thought was reality-, the Corellian rose quickly from his seat. Chewie whuffled something that sounded concerned, and though not intended to do so, his words brought a pang of guilt to the other.

"I don't know," was all Han said. Fear laced his voice. He was unable to hide it. The cabin door hissed shut behind him.

It was the worst kind of fear because it was for one of his best friends. For his brother.

His little brother- that he'd been unable to protect.

He and Leia had been lucky enough to escape Bespin relatively unharmed, but Luke hadn't been so fortunate. If only he could've found the kid before Vader had gotten to them, Han berated himself. Then they would all be safe and sound now- the way their "little family"- as they'd all become like now- should be.

Leia was putting a tourniquet on Luke's arm, and the boy moaned, weakly calling out Han's name.

"I'm here, kid," Solo said, quickly moving to kneel beside the bunk. He took hold of Luke's good hand. "S'okay, kiddo. I'm here." With utter gentleness Han brushed a sweat-soaked and somewhat bloodied strand of hair from Luke's eyes. He belatedly realized the kid was delirious though, not really sensing him, as Luke continued muttering in what appeared to be a feverish sleep.

Luke's deliriousness kindled memories of the long night spent on Hoth, and it scared Solo just as much as it had then; maybe more. The youth wasn't just spouting off nonsense. He was reliving whatever had happened. And whatever it was was traumatic.

"No… No. .. Why didn't you tell me? Why'd you lie?" What started out as a whisper, ended in a choked sob.

"Shhh. Hush, Luke. Hush, kid. You're safe." Concerned hazel eyes traveled back up to Leia. She had finished with the tourniquet and moved to retrieve the oxygen mask. The princess worked wordlessly and efficiently, as if she'd dealt with medical emergencies like these every day. No doubt she'd undergone training. He'd had training too while in the Imperial Academy, but all the experience in the world wasn't enough to prepare you when it was one of your friends that was hurt.

Luke struggled against the mask, trying to push it away.

"Let it be, kid," Han pulled Luke's hand down. Leia quickly gave up the fight though and shook her head. "He doesn't want it. Just help me get these clothes off him."

Solo obeyed and carefully as he could, grabbed Luke under the arms and sat him up.

"Ben…Why didn't you tell me?"  
_  
Ben?_ Han supported the whimpering youth, sitting behind him and murmuring softly as Leia quickly but gently set about removing the tattered shirt. It wasn't the first time Luke had called out to the dead Jedi, Han reflected. He'd done so on Hoth, and once when Solo had found him in the grips of a nightmare.

Leia cut away the last part of Luke's shirt, rather than try to pull it over his injured arm. The Corellian couldn't help but gasp quietly when he saw how bruised and scraped his young friend was. Leia continued to work, seemingly unfazed, hiding her emotions behind a grim, determined expression; it was the same mask she wore when receiving the casualty reports for a battle or mentioning Alderaan. Biting back a curse, Solo found he didn't want to watch as antiseptic was sprayed over the oozing cuts. Instead he hugged Luke's head to his chest and buried his face in the boy's hair, almost feeling the other's pain.

He felt like a coward. Leia was able to handle everything calmly- why wasn't he? Why was he having such a hard time seeing the kid like this? Luke was Leia's friend too. Han hadn't been there to protect him, but the least he could do was stay strong for him. "'S alright," he whispered to Luke and forced himself to look back up.

"There's not much I can do for him with the medkit." Leia finally spoke, putting it aside momentarily and standing.

"Course is set for the nearest medcenter."

The princess headed toward the cabinet and quickly returned with a clean white tunic.

"Here kid," Han said gently, sitting Luke up a little more. The young man was shivering now. Solo gingerly helped Leia pull the clean shirt over him. "We're gonna get you taken care of soon, I promise."

Leia paused to brush Luke's hair from his eyes and gently kiss his bruised cheek. The boy appeared to be unconsciousness, though still trembling, head lolling slightly to one side against Han's shoulder.

"How long until we get there?"

"Bout an hour," Han replied grimly, praying silently that the kid's injuries weren't worse than they appeared. Leia then proceeded with Solo's help, to quickly but gently finish tending to Luke. His legs were in better condition than his arms, though both knees were scraped and the back of them badly bruised. Once they'd gotten a clean pair of white pajama pants on him, and given him another hypo of painkiller, they laid the youth back down.

Luke continued to tremble beneath the blankets, whether from shock or temperature or both, Han didn't know. He stood there a moment before gently brushing the kid's hair aside to lay a hand on his forehead. Luke started a bit, before moaning quietly in his sleep and shifting, clutching involuntarily at the stump of his arm.

"I think he's running a fever."

The Corellian hoped that was the real reason behind his friend's disorientation, and not something Vader had done. His gaze flicked to Luke's bandaged wrist. It literally gave him chills to think that the kid had fought that, that… monster. And survived. Han Solo said he didn't believe in the Force, but something or someone was looking out for his fair-haired, young friend. Luke had survived too many near-death situations to attribute it all to luck.

"No…No…Leave them alone." The youth was back to muttering in his sleep, only this time it was closer to crying. The words spoken were desperate and frightened.

"We're here, Luke. It's alright." The princess lay a hand on his good arm. Luke's eyes fluttered open in response, taking both his friends by surprise.

"You're okay." Solo came closer, kneeling beside Leia.

Clouded blue orbs traveled slowly in the direction of their voices.

"It's us, kid."

Luke's pain-filled eyes looked straight into the hazel ones of the Corellian's, settled on the chocolate ones of the princess, then turned away, seemingly unrecognizing. His head rolled away to face the wall. "It's not true," he moaned after a moment, the next words coming out in a sob. "It's not."

Leia and Han looked at one another, expressions fearful, pained, helpless. Solo's anguished gaze flicked back to Luke again before he abruptly stood.

"I'm going to check on Chewie," was all he muttered, and he didn't look up at her. Leia watched as he turned and left. It was almost as if all of the sudden he didn't care what happened to Luke. It didn't make sense. Nothing seemed to anymore.

Leia's gaze traveled back to the young man beside her. There had been something different about Luke's eyes when he'd looked at her, and it'd torn her apart. The normally bright blue orbs were a cloudy grey color, hopeless, almost haunted. Leia wondered if she'd forever lost the sweet, trusting friend she'd found.

"Oh, Luke," she whispered. Tears pricked at her eyes, but she fought them back. She wished she could be as strong as Han. All the while he'd been talking to Luke, comforting him, but she'd been unable to speak, afraid her voice would betray her worry and shock.

She took a steadying breath before kissing the top of Luke's head- He'd appeared to have dropped back into sleep. She wondered how much longer it was before they got him to the medcenter, pushing away the doubts that he would be anything but okay.

"I'll be back," Leia promised the young man whom she'd come to love almost as a brother. She often felt older and protective towards Luke, despite there being no difference in their age. And she knew Luke was just as much a little brother to Han. The normally brash Corellian had a soft spot the size of the galaxy for Luke. It was evident in the way he looked out for him, protected him, and the somewhat quieter, gentler way he treated him.

Luke loved Han as a brother too. It was obvious in his youthful hero-worship, the way he looked up to Han and followed him around all day, or would run to him for comfort. She couldn't imagine why Solo would leave his friend at a time when Luke needed them the most.

It was only after finding Han that she understood. He wasn't in the cockpit like he'd said. He hadn't gone to check on Chewie. When she asked of his whereabouts, Threepio said he'd disappeared into his cabin without a word.

Leia didn't know what possessed her to continue to search for the former smuggler, much less knock on his cabin door, and palm it open. After all, he'd abandoned her and Luke, why should she care where he was? Before she could berate herself any further, she quickly realized how wrong she'd been. Her heart clenched at the sight before her. For a moment all she could do was stare because she could hardly believe what she saw.

Han was down on his knees on the cold deck floor by his bunk, head buried in his arms. She could see his shoulders trembling as he tried rather unsuccessfully to choke back his sobs. In all the time Leia had known him, Solo had never been one to show much emotion. Quite the contrary, he preferred to hide behind the rough mercenary façade, pretending not to care about anything or anyone.

Leia could see through it though, and knew full well that he was capable of caring- anyone who would put the life of their friend before their own, couldn't be as selfish as they pretended to be. She'd seen Han comfort Luke more than once, and he'd comforted her as well, but never had he been on the receiving line for such a thing.

Quietly she made her way over to him and sat down on the edge of the bunk. She ran her fingers through his soft, brown hair.

"Hey. This isn't going to help him, you know."

Han shook his head slightly, not looking up. "It's all m-my fault." He took a shuddering breath. "If I'd've been there."

"There wasn't anything you could've done."

And Han knew this was true. Still, he couldn't help feeling that he'd failed, that there was some way he could've stopped Vader from getting near the kid. He felt Leia gently rubbing his back, and fought hard to suppress the tears that desperately wanted to fall. No one was supposed to see him like this.

"I'm supposed to protect him. He obviously c-can't protect himself."

"You did the best you could. We all did."

Han took a steadying breath. It was a while before he spoke. "Yeah, well, look where that got Luke. The kid's barely hanging on." He finally looked up at Leia, and she surprised him by kissing his cheek.

"He could hang on a lot better with his best friend beside him."

Han took another deep breath and brushed at the remainder of his tears feeling somewhat embarrassed.

"Maybe you couldn't be there for him before, but you can be here for him now."

She was right. Han sighed before getting up off the floor and taking a seat on the bunk beside Leia. He managed a half-hearted smile. "When did you get so smart?"

She smiled back. "I've always been smart. I'm not a half-witted, scruffy-looking nerf-herder like you."

"Who's scruffy-looking?" Han repeated with mock anger, though a smile threatened to break through.

"You." Leia laughed and lightly and gave him a quick kiss. She already loved this man, and his recent display of selflessness just made her love him even more. Her smile disappeared as she stood though upon remembering Luke's condition.

Han suddenly sobered as well. Still sitting on the bunk, he gazed at the _Falcon_'s deck.

"The kid doesn't even know us anymore," he said softly.

"He's just in shock."

"He's been through enough as it is." Han shook his head. He wished it were him on that bunk instead. Luke's recklessness and bravery had gotten him in trouble once more, but this time Han wasn't able to pull him out of it. "Crazy kid." He cursed softly. "What was he thinking going up against a sith lord?"

Leia wearily sank down beside him once again, took his hand. "He was trying to protect us. It was all a trap Vader-."  
_  
Vader._ "What does that walking heap of wires want with Luke?"

Leia shook her head, truly at a loss. The dark lord was utterly obsessed with finding the young man. "I don't know. He did destroy the Death Star,"

"Yeah and I helped him do it, so why isn't he after me too?"

"I don't know." She shuddered to think what would've happened if Luke hadn't been able to get away. She added quietly, "He wanted to bring him to the Emperor himself."

Han just shook his head. He hadn't really considered Luke fortunate until now. Yes, the kid was injured and in shock, but things could have been worse. He could still be in the hands of that monster, or even worse dead. Suddenly Han was fearful, protective, not even wanting to leave Luke's side for a second, and yet he'd already done so. He stood.

"Come on, he's in there by himself."

"He's not alone. I left Artoo with him." But Leia was just as eager to be back at her friend's side. She stood and hand in hand she and Han hurried back to the heart of their little family, the idealistic, caring youth they'd come to love. Subconsciously though, Leia couldn't help but worry if they would ever get him back.  


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to be continued....

Thanks for reading! Comments are welcome and very much appreciated! ;)


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks to all my wonderful readers! Sorry it's been so long. Here's a little post and I hope you enjoy it! :)

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Han glanced at his chrono. It'd been longer than he thought. Only five more minutes and they'd be in range of the medcenter.

"Almost there. We'd better start getting him ready," he murmured.

Leia nodded. She went over and sat down on the edge of Luke's bunk. The young man's head was still facing the wall, away from them. Whether he was asleep or pointedly avoiding them Leia didn't know.

"We're almost to the medcenter, Luke."

Luke remained unresponsive even when Leia gently touched his shoulder.

"Kid needs something on his feet," Han said and Leia got up to retrieve a pair of socks. He helped her gently put them on him and was glad he thought to- the youth's feet were ice cold- before crouching beside the bunk.

"Easy." The Corellian very carefully sat Luke up. "'S alright, kid. I'm gonna carry you." How he was going to do so without hurting his injured friend further, Han wasn't sure of yet. He couldn't just cradle the boy in his arms because the backs of Luke's knees were so bruised.

"How'm I gonna do this?" he spoke halfway to himself, halfway to the princess at his side, while continuing to support Luke. "He's not heavy. I just don't want to hurt him."

"Do you need me to help?"

"I think I've got him." Luke, though still limp, seemed to be somewhat awake. If he was that would help things a lot. "Can you put your arms around my neck, kiddo?" Solo whispered, and was relieved when the young man responded.

"There. That's the way," he praised softly. He saw the effort it took for Luke to raise his injured arm. Luke's head rested on the Corellian's shoulder and Solo carefully stood.

"You okay?" he whispered.

A slight nod.

"You sure?"

Another nod.

And for a moment they all stayed, huddled together, taking much-needed comfort and strength in one another's presence. Leia lightly rubbed Luke's back. He was lucky he was small. Han was able to hold him as if he were little more than a child.

"It's all gonna be okay, ya hear? We'll get you taken care of. It's all gonna be fine." And for a moment it almost seemed that way. They were all together and alive, their hardy troupe. Luke would go for a dip in a bacta tank, and would come out fine like always.

Only not. Reality struck back, and struck back hard. Han remembered his young friend was missing a hand. He'd been traumatized. He remembered the way Luke's haunted blue eyes had looked straight into his and Leia's- and then turned away. Suddenly moisture threatened to well up in own his eyes, and Han forced himself not to think about that. Not to think of the normally bright-eyed youngster missing a hand. There were medical technologies for that- they could fix it. Think positively, he told himself. That was what Luke had taught him to do.

Kind, gentle, caring Luke. He'd been through so much already, and he didn't deserve any of it. Leia too. All of them had suffered at the hands of Vader. Han could push aside his own pain, but he vowed to kill the warped Sith lord for the affliction of his friends.

Meanwhile, unbeknownst to Han and Leia, Luke Skywalker noiselessly wept. He was afraid. He feared once his best friends found out the truth- and it was inevitable they would- he'd lose them forever. Rejection and abandonment were all he expected- and all he deserved. Silent tears slid down his cheeks. They could never love the son of a monster.

The next few minutes were all a blur for Luke, and not just because of the tears in his eyes. Shock and fever began to take their toll, and the young Jedi began slipping in and out of consciousness. He didn't remember the ship arriving at the medcenter, but he remembered coming around briefly as Han carried him inside it. He remembered lying on a bed that moved down a white hallway.

The pain that flared in his arm was what kept waking him up. That and sometimes he would hear Vader's voice. It frightened him. He woke up to the sound of his own cries once or twice. He heard the indistinct voices of Han and Leia. Their words faded in and out but he could hear some of them. They were soft and kind and comforted him. He remembered someone holding his good hand, and someone gently brushing his forehead when his other hand started hurting the worst. Then he was taken away from his friends and engulfed in a thick, suffocating, stinging substance that was strangely familiar. He tried weakly to fight it, push it away. And then there was darkness.

Seven hours later, Luke Skywalker was removed from the bacta tank and placed in a pre-operating room for surgery. All through those hours, his two best friends stayed behind the glass wall surrounding his room, wanting to be as near as possible to the youth. They took shifts watching over him, but their breaks were short and neither one could really sleep. They ate a ration bar or two to keep up their strength. Most of their time though was spent in silence, hand in hand, hoping and praying; willing a bruised and broken Luke Skywalker to survive.

Seeing Luke in bacta brought back memories of Hoth, especially at one point when the young Jedi began thrashing around. Leia had gotten up and without permission gone into his room. Han had followed right behind her, ignoring the med-droid's complaints, knowing it wouldn't hurt a blasted thing if they were a little closer to the kid.

Luke's good hand was pressed up against the tank desperately, almost as if he were reaching for someone. Leia placed her hand on the glass over Luke's, having no real way of comforting the boy besides letting him know that she was there. Han watched for a moment then did the same. It was the closest they could come to holding his hand.

As they stayed there quietly, it was almost as if Luke could sense their presence. The frightened youth immediately stopped thrashing. His slight form gradually relaxed and eventually surrendered to the curative bacta's flow.

"Sleeping like a baby," Han murmured as he stood with Leia beside Luke's bunk. Leia nodded, relieved.

Solo couldn't help but smile a little at the sight before him. The kid always looked so innocent when he slept; peaceful and relaxed, without a care in the world, though his life was far from easy.

Happy-go-lucky Luke. No matter how bleak the situation seemed, he always looked for the bright side. Always thoughtful, always kind, always looking for the best in people, and bringing those qualities to light.

When Han first met Luke he thought it was an act- nobody could really be that nice- but the Corellian quickly learned how wrong his assumptions were. Luke was the kindest, most selfless person Han knew, along with Leia. Then those two had crept into his heart, steadily melting it and before he could do anything about it, the selfish life Solo knew was gone. He'd fallen in love with a beautiful princess, and adopted a little brother along the way too. Han figured some of Leia and Luke's selflessness must've rubbed off on him, because he'd die for either one of them. He loved them.

Leia squeezed his hand and tightened her grip around Han, who hugged her back supportively. And he knew they loved him too.

Hang in there, kid. We're pulling for you, he spoke silently to Luke's still form. Han's gaze traveled from Luke's face, tinged pink with fever but still managing to look pale against the white sheets, to his left arm on top of the blankets where tubes ran from a fluid drip. There were probably some heavy-duty pain-killers in that I.V. drip as well, Han reflected, if the kid was sleeping that peacefully. Then he forced himself to look at Luke's right arm, which surprisingly didn't look as bad as before. It was wrapped in a clean, white bandage temporarily until they could do surgery on him. It made Han's own hand hurt just thinking about it. He suddenly was aware that Leia was leaning more heavily into him.

"Hey. You alright?"

The princess nodded and sighed quietly, wearily. "Just tired."

Han understood. If her naps during breaks had been anything like his, she'd probably gotten one hour of solid sleep in the past 24.

"Go rest for a while. I can watch him."

"Are you sure?"

"At least I'm still standing," Han smiled, and Leia realized how much she was leaning into him. She stood up a little more.

"True." She smiled too, wearily. She wanted to stay and watch after Luke, but she could hardly stand on her own two feet now, much less keep her eyes open. She needed to rest, just for a little while.

"You need me to walk you back?"

Leia shook her head "no", moving towards the door. "Com me if there's any change," she said.

"I will," Han promised quietly. "You take a good long rest, Princess. I've still got several hours before I'm as dead to the world as Luke." He smiled affectionately, indicating the slumbering form.

"Thanks." And with that one very exhausted and grateful word, Leia slipped out the door.

The next two hours, Han spent in the chair beside Luke's bed. To keep from getting too tired, he busied himself with watching the holovision on mute, surfing through the channels, and playing with a deck of flimsy cards. He kept a watchful eye on his young friend though, and so did the med droid that kept coming in to check Luke's vital signs. There was little change in the youth's condition; he remained quiet and unresponsive except when Two-One-Bee drew blood from his arm, causing him to moan quietly and stir.

By the droid's tenth visit Han was all but ready to throw him out. "Quit pokin' the poor kid and let him sleep," he'd said. The med droid was in no mood to argue though. He informed Solo that if he tried to interfere, "he would be denied visiting hours to the patient." That was the last thing Han wanted, so he held his tongue.

"I will return in twenty minutes," Two-One-Bee announced, to which Han muttered a sarcastic, "Oh goody."

"Your remarks are far from humorous, sir."

"Yeah, well, so are yours." Stupid, smart-aleck droids anyway.

Han went back to his card game, before wearily running a hand through his hair. He was getting tired now- maybe a cup of caf would do him good. He didn't want to leave Luke alone though. It could wait. He shifted positions and decided to search the holovision guide again.

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To be continued…

Thanks for reading! Reviews greatly appreciated. :)


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: see ch. 1

Sorry for the long wait between chapters, everyone. I hope you enjoy though. :) Comments are greatly appreciated!

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Han was halfway through the list of channels when he detected movement from the corner of his eye. He'd thought he'd heard something too. His gaze immediately flickered to Luke. The boy was still facing away from him, but he had shifted slightly.

"You awake, Luke?" Solo asked softly.

No response. Han sat up a little straighter, craning his neck, but still all he could see was the back of Luke's tousled head.

Another suppressed- though not well enough suppressed- sniffle and the Corellian was immediately on his feet; he hadn't been imagining things. Leaning over to get a look at the boy's face, he was surprised to find it wet with tears.

"Kid?"

Concerned, Han quickly moved to the other side of the bed. "What's the matter, Luke? Are you hurtin'?" Maybe the painkillers were starting to wear off.

Luke gave no response. Instead he rolled over slightly, trying to bury his dampened face further into the sheet. He didn't deserve his friend's concern. He didn't deserve anyone's concern.

Luke's reaction brought a pang of remorse to Solo-that was the second time the kid had deliberately ignored him-, but Han would not be brushed off so easily. What had happened to the Luke who would talk to him about anything, he wondered. Who would come to him when he needed help or comfort; who _trusted_ him.

The prone form on the hospital bed accidentally let out a quiet sob. Protectiveness growing, Han sat down beside him, reaching out a hand to stroke the back of Luke's head.

"Come on, kid." He spoke softly in a gentle voice reserved only for those closest to him. When Luke continued to remain facedown Solo added somewhat wearily, "If you don't tell _me_ what's wrong, you're gonna have to tell that droid."

Luke stayed quiet, save for his shaky breathing.

"And you know he'll probably want to poke you more with needles, evil machine that he is." Solo tried to make light of the situation in spite of everything.

_Machine_. _Evil_. Luke flinched inwardly at the words. That was what his father was. Not the hero that he used to imagine. A dark machine that mutilated others. _Evil machine._ That was what he was too. …He didn't want to be evil.

He sobbed quietly again and felt Han rubbing his back. "I just wanna listen, kid." the Corellian continued. "I'm worried. I don't want to have to bring Two-One-Bee back in here, so come on, look at me." Solo gently tugged on Luke's good arm to roll him over, being careful not to disturb the IV drip.

A brief hesitation but Luke finally complied. Still not looking up, he tried weakly with one hand to push himself up, trembling from crying.

Han quickly moved to help him, carefully propping him against the back of the medical bed. Finally, watery, red-rimmed, blue eyes stared up into hazel. They just as quickly looked away though.

The distress and fear in Luke's raw gaze scared Han. There was something terrified and strangely knowing behind those eyes. Something hidden, and yet begging to be told. The Corellian absently laid a hand on Luke's forehead, checking for fever, trying to be grateful that he'd finally gotten some sort of response from the boy. Then he brushed gently at Luke's tears. "Suppose you tell me what's going on."

And then, for the first time since Bespin, Luke finally spoke. "I want to, H-han." His voice was broken, shaky, and he looked absolutely terrified to Han, as if he were reliving whatever happened on Bespin all over again. Fresh tears swelled and spilled down ruddy cheeks and Luke lowered his head into a hand that refused to be steadied. "I-I just can't r-right now."

He took a shuddering breath before dissolving into sobs. Compassion overtook the Corellian, and it wasn't long before he had Luke engulfed in his arms. He simply held onto the boy, hugging him tightly.

"'S okay, kid. It's all gonna be okay," Solo murmured over and over. After a few minutes, he found himself faintly, barely even audibly, singing the words to a song he hadn't heard in a very long time. Han rarely, if ever, sang, but for his "little brother" Luke, this particular Corellian would do just about anything . The kid was still crying hard, refusing to be comforted, so Han started rocking him slightly and murmuring the song Dewlanna had sang to him years ago. She'd spoke it in Wookiee of course, but Han had also heard it sung in basic before. Dewlanna would sing it to him when was hurt or upset and it always seemed to help things a little. Here's hoping it'd do the same for Luke.

And strangely, it seemed to. Very gradually, Luke's trembling form relaxed, his cries softening and breathing becoming steadier. Meanwhile Han quietly coached him to take deep breaths. "Breathe in. Breathe out. Yeah, that's it, kiddo. In… Out. In… and out…"

A few more minutes passed. The young man gave an audible swallow before bringing his head up a little, finally quieted.

"There." Han whispered. "Feel better?"

Luke nodded slightly, gratefully. He did. He was physically and emotionally drained, but in the comfort of his friend's strong arms he felt safe. He wondered where Han had heard that song though. There was only one person, Luke thought, that knew it, and he always thought she'd made it up. Not knowing whether his voice would work yet, but deciding to try it anyway, the young Jedi spoke softly, "M-my aunt Beru used to sing me that song."

Han smiled a little at that, pulling away slightly to look at him. "How 'bout that." Strange that two people with totally different backgrounds from planets lightyears away had the same little-known song sang to them growing up.

Luke sniffed, smiling ever so faintly. For a brief moment he was able to forget about Vader and Bespin, and all that he'd been through in such a short amount of time.

He thought of his Aunt Beru- stars how he missed her. And Uncle Owen. Settling against the back of the medical bed, the youth tried weakly to brush at the residual wetness on his cheeks, but it proved difficult with only one hand, especially one that was already taped up with an I.V. Before he could grow frustrated though, his friend had already grabbed a tissue and was gently wiping away the tears.

"Dewlanna used to sing it to me. Kinda strange to hear a Wookiee sing." Solo grinned, trying to cheer the younger man up.

The little smile that had tugged at the corners of Luke's lips had faded though. Now he was gazing at the stump of his arm almost repulsively. Memories came flooding back to Luke. For a short while he'd been able to delude himself that it had all been a dream; that he hadn't fought Vader, that he hadn't been lied to all his life …that he wasn't the son of a monster.

Han was watching him, expression a strange mixture of anger, understanding and sympathy. He wanted to make everything okay for Luke, but this- this he could not make right. He couldn't undo the damage that was already done. And it frustrated him

Solo vowed to avenge Vader for all the hurt he'd inflicted upon his young friend, at the same time realizing it wouldn't really solve anything. Sure it would make _him_ feel better to get revenge, but what good would it really do Luke? What the kid needed more than anything right now was just to be surrounded by love and reassurance. Han followed Luke's gaze to his bandaged arm, then paused before asking softly, "Does it hurt?"

Blue eyes looked up sharply, as if startled, before Luke managed to regain his composure. "Sort of," he mumbled, looking back down again. He wasn't expecting his voice to come out so hoarse.

Han noticed how ashamed his young friend seemed to be about his hand. "You'll have another one made, kid," he soothed, brushing the hair away from a healing scrape on Luke's face with a gentleness that surprised even himself. "It'll be just as good. You'd be surprised how far they've come with prosthetics. Probably won't even be able to tell the difference."

But he'd always _know_ the difference, Luke thought. It wasn't so much his hand that bothered him though, or even the fact that he'd been lied to all his life. It was knowing the truth. Luke knew eventually that ugly truth would have to be made known, and afterwards he would be utterly and completely alone.

Luke Skywalker- wait, that wasn't even his name now- had no family. The family he'd found not too long ago he thought for sure he'd lose, and he would never consider Vader part of his family. Ever. If he could just keep his heritage secret, Luke thought desperately, he might be able to keep his friends a little longer… but no, he quickly amended. That was selfish. Han and Leia deserved to know… and he couldn't lie to them. Not after he'd been lied to all his life.

There was something much more, Han quickly realized, that was bothering Luke. The young man was shaken to the core.

The kid was looking down dejectedly, lower lip trembling and tears threatening to spill again. Enough was enough. Solo was going to find out what was bothering him right now.

"What's the matter, kid?"

Luke said nothing, only closed his eyes and shook his head no.

Han's concern and frustration at his inability to help his friend manifested in slight anger. "Don't try and tell me it's nothing. You're crying."

Luke just shook his head again, burying it in his one good hand, face crumpling.

Irritation fading rapidly into compassion, the Corellian spoke much gentler this time. "C'mere."

With one hand he held Luke's head close to him as if protecting him from something or someone. He didn't know what to do with the kid. "Talk to me. I can't help you if I don't know what's wrong."

To Han's dismay, Luke gave no reply. Then the younger man finally choked out, "I'm sorry."

"Sorry?" Confused, the Corellian felt his face soften. "You don't have anything to be sorry for, kid. It's that pile of wires monster that's going to be sorry when I get to him." He pulled his sleeve down over his hand and brushed at Luke's cheek.

"Han-"

And then with timing that couldn't be worse, Two-One-Bee came bursting through the hospital door. Luke started at the noise, breaking off the sentence he'd started and looking towards the source. Han sighed inwardly. Just as the kid was ready to talk- what was it with droids and bad timing? he wondered, wearily. Threepio had it too.

The medical robot seemed immediately concerned upon seeing Luke. He wheeled over almost frantically.

"Sir, I demand that you leave now," he ordered Han. "You have upset the patient, and his condition will deteriorate."

"I have not," Han dismissed the idea, taking slight offense. "He was already upset."

"If you fail to comply you will be denied visiting hours to the patient. I will not warn you again."

Luke sniffled, still clinging with one arm to Han, who lightly rubbed his back. "D-don't leave, Han."

"I'm not, kid. See," he said, turning to the droid. "He wants me to stay."

"Sir-"

"It'll upset him even more if you kick me out."

"I will not change my orders, sir."

Luke tensed, subconsciously holding on tighter to the Corellian. He didn't want to be left alone, not now.

The robot, however, refused to be swayed. "You will leave now or security will escort-"

"I could care less what you order- Look at him!" Solo was suddenly furious, bringing Luke's stricken face up and turning him to face the droid. "He's scared, and hurt, and he's cryin'. You're blasted crazy to tell me to leave him like this 'cause I won't!"

He paused, taking a few breaths, calming slightly before continuing, "Now I know you're the doctor droid, and more knowledgeable when it comes to all your fancy medical talk, but _I_ know the kid …and I know when he needs me."

Two-One-Bee said nothing for a moment, as if he were considering the other's words. Then he said almost defeatedly, "Very well, sir. You may remain if the patient so wishes, but please allow me to take his vitals."

Han nodded his gratitude, relieved, then murmured to Luke, "Give him your hand, kid." Luke did as he was told and Two-One-Bee placed a pulse monitor on his finger.

"The patient's heart and breathing rates are elevated." The robot reported with some alarm.

"Uh, maybe because he's crying?" Han ventured. "With all due respect," he muttered after a moment. Sometimes Solo really had his doubts about droids.

Two-One-Bee moved to put a blood pressure cuff on Luke's good arm. Once the droid had scanned Luke's forehead for his temperature, he had finished and was wheeling the cart towards the door.

"Thanks," Han managed. Though he wasn't fond of droids he reminded himself that this was the one who pulled Luke through Hoth, and Bespin, and his all-too-numerous injuries and illnesses in between. Annoying as the droid could be, he wasn't all bad.

He would be the one operating on Luke's hand tomorrow, assuming everything went as planned.

Solo looked down at the boy, who was staring at the floor, salty traces left on his face from still-drying tears. Huddled in the slightly-too-big white medcenter pajamas, he seemed nothing more than a child. For a moment Han felt more than ten years older.

Reaching over Luke to the small table adjacent to the bed, he grabbed the box of tissues. "You were gonna say something when that droid came in."

Luke gave a little shrug, sniffing. Han brought a couple of tissues to the kid's face. "Blow."

Luke did as he was told, then spoke quietly, "I don't remember."

"Yes you do." The Corellian wouldn't be fooled so easily. "C'mon. Talk to me."

"I..I don't know where to start."

Han smiled at him reassuringly. "Start anywhere you want. If you need help though, the beginning's usually a good place." He forced cheerfulness into his voice.

Luke remained quiet, seemingly lost in thought. Han watched him fidget, Luke's good hand vaguely tracing the pattern on the blanket beside him. The youth bit his lower lip to keep it from trembling and Solo could see plainly he was trying not to cry again.

"It's hard." Luke finally looked up, emotion making his voice come out younger.

Solo's gaze softened. With brotherly protectiveness he brushed a wisp of hair from Luke's eyes. "I know it is, kid," he spoke sincerely. "I know. I wouldn't ask you to if I didn't think it would help though."

Swallowing and taking a steady breath, Luke nodded.

"Tell you what. How 'bout I tell my part of the story first? And whenever you're ready you can go into yours."

Luke smiled a little and nodded, seeming to like that idea.

"Okay," Solo grinned, tightening his grip around the boy slightly. "We should have Threepio in here too. You know how he loves to be a story-teller."

"Han? Are you feeling okay?"

The Corellian chuckled. "You're right. I'm kinda tired. Scratch goldenrod. Now, when was the last time we were all together?"

"Hoth." Luke reminded him softly.

"Right. That miserable, rotten, deep-freezer of a planet."

Luke felt a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. Han's joking and relaxed manner always seemed to make event the worst situation better and put Luke at ease. Han was one of the few people Luke truly felt safe with. Along with Leia, Solo was the only one the youth trusted enough to be completely open with his emotions. There was a bond that had formed between them all, and they were as close as family.

_Family._ The word brought sudden remembrance of Luke's newfound heritage, but he tried quickly to push it away.

"Let's see," Han continued. "When the base got attacked, Leia and I took off on the _Falcon_. I was trying to get her to her transport, but the ceiling caved in and blocked the whole hallway. Her Worship was being so stubborn, we almost didn't make it out of there."

* * *

to be continued...

I know, not the best place to stop, but I had to cut it off somewhere. Comments are greatly appreciated! Happy Easter everyone!! :)


	4. Chapter 4

…"But we did. 'Course not without a few of Vader's cronies on our tail."

Luke flinched almost imperceptibly at the mention of Vader's name. Han noticed, but continued, gently rubbing his arm. "The hyperdrive was acting up and we couldn't go into lightspeed, so I flew through an asteroid field and eventually we lost them."

Despite Luke's despondent mood, the youth managed to look slightly surprised and impressed at that. He always knew Han was a great pilot though.

The Corellian grinned, not missing his reaction. "Yeah, Junior, do you know what the odds of successfully navigating through one of things is?"

Luke shook his head slightly and Han continued, "Three-thousand-seven-hundred-twenty to one."

The young man looked a bit confused, then spoke, his voice still sounding nasally from crying. "I thought you didn't like to be told the odds, Han."

"I don't. But Goldenrod wouldn't shut his yap."

A trace of a smile creased Luke's face and his friend continued.

"Then we headed to a big chunk of rock, down into a cave- or what we thought was a cave- to hideout for a while. Tie-fighters were just swarming outside, blasting the craters. We had to shut down everything except the emergency power and stay quiet. But when Mynocks started attaching themselves to the ship, I knew something was up." He paused, suddenly unable to keep a smirk from spreading across his face.

Luke looked up at him, puzzled. "What's so funny?"

Han laughed softly. "Leia."

The other slightly raised an eyebrow.

"I was just thinking of her reaction to those things. She's usually not afraid of anything, but when she saw one she got all flustered and screamed and ran away. So did Threepio."

Luke didn't laugh, but Han had still managed to coax another little smile out of him. Progress.

"Anyway, we got out of there fast, just in time, and you know what our so-called cave turned out to be?"

Luke shook his head no again.

"A giant space worm. We were this close in escaping through the stupid thing's teeth." Han held up his index finger and thumb a few centimeters apart for show.

Luke nodded slightly and looked away, sudden feelings of guilt threatening to overwhelm him. He tried to fight them, but the youth still couldn't help feeling it was his fault that his friends had been put in such danger. Vader was using Han and Leia in a trap for _him_.

"But we got away fine," Han reassured him, seeing the look of concern flash across his young friend's face. He decided for now to skip over being chased by Star Destroyers and the close call they had with that, seeing that Luke was already worried over the last incident. "The ship still needed repaired though, so we needed to stop somewhere. I saw Lando Calrissian was in Bespin- we knew each other from more than a few years back- so that's where we headed."

"Is he the one you won the _Falcon_ from?" Luke asked quietly.

"Sure is." Han forced cheerfulness into his voice. He tried not to think about his old gambling friend now encased in a cold carbonite slab somewhere. "We didn't know it, but Fett had followed us to Bespin. He must've told the pile of wires where we were headed 'cause the Imps beat us there. They arrived right before we did, and Lando let us walk right into the trap."

Anger and confusion flashed across Luke's face.

"Yeah, we thought he was a traitor too," Han said grimly, recalling how his fist met Lando's face when Calrissian had announced it was all a trap set for Luke. Solo remembered how fearful he'd been for his young friend in that moment where suddenly everything made sense- why Vader had been torturing both Leia and him and holding them hostage. "But later he came up with a plan to help us escape. He even sacrificed himself so we could get away."

Luke couldn't bring himself to ask what happened, but his pained, inquisitive gaze was enough. Han looked into slightly red-rimmed blue eyes, trying to choose his next words carefully- this was where things went bad. He didn't want to upset the already-traumatized youngster any more than he had to. Purposely skipping over the part where Vader had tortured him, he went on to Lando's act of bravery.

"Vader had a carbon freezing chamber there." Solo said slowly. "He wanted someone to test it on and was gonna test it on me, but Lando volunteered himself instead. Somehow- and I don't know how he did it so quick- he managed to pull together a plan to get us all out of there. It was crazy and chaotic, but it worked. I'm not sure if he survived or not though. It was all kind of a blur. Once they'd frozen him all hell broke loose. We had to make a break for the ship, and I think Fett got Lando."

Luke looked down, fighting back tears of remorse. All this on account of him.

"We're gonna try our best to get him back though," Han promised. "We'll find him. Chewie's already tracing out some of places he could be."

"It's all my fault, Han," Luke whispered.

"Like hell," Han said gruffly and brought Luke's chin up. Seeing a sudden tear run down his cheek he brushed it away and added softer, "Kid, you can't blame yourself for something you had absolutely no control over."

Luke shook his head and anguished blue eyes looked up at the Corellian. "But everything that happened, Vader did to get me."

"Vader did. Not you. None of us would ever, could ever blame you for what happened, Luke."

Luke paused, seeming to consider the Corellian's words, then nodded and swallowed, taking a deep and somewhat unsteady breath. Han rubbed his arm. After a few seconds and Luke remained calm Solo ventured somewhat cheerfully, "Now, weren't we just about to your part of the story?"

The young man looked uncertain to say the least.

"You don't have to talk about it, kid." Han assured him. "I just thought it might help."

Luke shook his head slightly. "No, I want to," he said quietly, bravely, before looking back down, seeming to be searching for what to say.

Han smiled, a strange sad smile, that spoke volumes of how proud he was of the young man who'd come to be like his little brother, how he cared for Luke, and how much it hurt to see him suffering the way he was.

After a moment Luke looked up at Han, on the verge of talking, but still a bit hesitant. The Corellian tapped his chin and smiled reassuringly. Luke smiled back, the most he had since the whole ordeal. Then he surprised Han by settling back against him, his head resting on the Corellian's chest as if frightened and trusting the other to take care of him. Han put his arms around Luke and hugged the boy close like he had on Hoth, when he'd tried to warm and comfort him. He slightly rocked the kid, knowing full well he'd protect him with his life. _Stars, he was getting soft._

"After the battle, I saw the _Falcon_ leave, and I knew you and Leia were okay. But instead of meeting at the rendezvous, I went to Dagobah."

_Dagobah_. That word sounded too familiar, and Han tried to think where he'd heard it before. He'd certainly never been there. Then Solo quickly remembered that was one of the names the kid kept muttering when he'd found him delirious in the snow. Han had lots of questions but he decided to save them for a later time though, and just let Luke talk.

"That's where Ben told me to go when I saw him on Hoth," Luke went on quietly. "He wanted me to seek further training from Yoda."

Han had tried to convince Luke before that seeing Ben was just a hallucination from shock or maybe a dream- it made more sense, and besides, it was just too creepy for the kid to be talking to dead people- but now Solo found himself questioning his own theory.

"So I did. And a few days after I was there training, I had a vision." Luke swallowed, and paused for a moment, glancing down.

_Another vision? So much for the whole hallucination theory, _Han thought_. _When the boy didn't continue, he pressed gently, "What kind of vision, kid?"

Though Han couldn't see his face, Luke's blue eyes radiated fear, helplessness. "It was of you, and Leia. And you both were in terrible pain." His voice broke off and he swallowed again, stomach churning at the memory of the still too vivid images. "Yoda said I was sensing the future. It was awful…To know you both were in trouble and I couldn't do anything to help."

Han grimaced. He knew that feeling all too well.

"Yoda and Ben tried to convince me to stay, but I just couldn't. I didn't listen so I guess I walked right into the trap… And look where it got me." Luke's said bitterly, voice wavering almost imperceptibly and he held up his injured arm a little.

Han tried not to wince. He just shook his head. "It's not your fault, kid," he said gently, moving one hand to lightly stroke the back of Luke's head.

Overwhelmed, the youth suddenly wanted to cry again. He bit down hard on his lower lip, which had started to tremble.

"You were trying to do what you thought was right," Han continued. "…And that's all anybody can do. If I were in your position, I'd've done the same."

Luke released a somewhat shaky breath and Han said gently, "Come on, enough of this blame game. Tell me what happened once you got there."

Luke swallowed and hesitated before continuing softly, "Well, I couldn't understand why they just let me land, and walk right in without anybody trying to stop me. I looked for you and Leia and I knew something was wrong. The building was practically empty. …Then _he_ was there."

Han didn't even have to guess who the "he" was. He hugged the kid a little tighter and rocked him slightly, trying to be supportive. He knew it had to be rough to talk about trauma that was only mere hours ago. He just hoped it would make things better to get some of that hurt out and not worse.

"He was waiting for me." Luke said, voice monotone and quiet. He could still see the dark lord standing ominously, carbonite steam enveloping his black, monstrous frame as he waited in the eerily lit chamber. Luke remembered the way his own heart thumped with both fear and hatred as he slowly moved towards him, not taking his gaze from his worst enemy, the murderer of his family, the monster that haunted his dreams. The rhythmic noise from Vader's respirator, the hiss of steam from the chamber, his own heart pounding in his ears- the youth could still hear it all. "We fought." he said simply, voice sounding strange in his own ears, choked.

Those two words sent a cold chill through Han. Luke had fought that demon- and survived.

"He chased me back onto a gantry. That's when…when this happened."

The kid was shaking now. Han suddenly worried that he'd made a mistake in coaxing Luke to talk. He was bringing it all up again. It was too soon.

"H-he told me something, Han." Luke's voice had risen in pitch with desperation. "But I'm scared… to t-tell you." Tears ran once more and the youth shuddered with unsteady gasps for air.

It was too late now, Han realized. Luke was already upset. There was no point in not letting him finish talking, even if it was too soon. The best thing Solo could do was just listen, and try to console Luke the best he could.

He stroked the sobbing boy's hair and spoke very gently. "Why are you scared, kid? Huh? You know you can talk to me about anything."

A paused and then Luke managed, "N-not about this."

"Yes about this. Tell me what he said, Luke- it's okay."

The youth wept with increasing intensity. It wasn't okay. How could he tell his best friends that he was the son of their worst enemy? How could he tell them that his own father was the one responsible for all they'd been through? -All their suffering and torture. He was the son of the very evil they'd been fighting; the offspring of a monster. Surely no one could ever love him once they knew the truth…yet every fiber in his being screamed to tell Han. He'd been lied to all his life- he couldn't take any more lies.

Crying and trembling, he broke away from Han to look him in the eyes. It took all his strength to do so. Concern and compassion were written clearly on the other's face, but Luke's cheeks burned with hot, shameful tears. Before he could lose the nerve, he took a breath and said quietly, simply, "He's my father." Immediately, he looked away.

That had been the last thing in the world Han was expecting to hear. It was a few seconds before he even found his voice. It was the most ridiculous sentence the Corellian had ever heard, but there was something about the simple, deeply convicting way Luke had said it. Solo looked over at his young friend, hunched over crying, so ashamed he wouldn't even look in Han's direction even more. He said the first two words that came to mind, and he wanted to believe. "He's lying."

He heard Luke give a startled little gasp as his gaze flicked to Han.

"You can't tell me you believe that." Solo continued.

Luke nodded slightly. "I- I can feel it's true," he said after a moment. "I know it is. I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'm sorry, H-han. For everything." He swiped angrily at his uncooperative eyes with his one good hand, forgetting for a brief instance the I.V. drip that was attached to it. "Ow," he gasped, subconsciously moving his other hand to squeeze it, but quickly remembering why he hadn't used that hand in the first place. Luke angrily smacked the bed's mattress with his left hand. Then shaking he drew his knees up close to his chest and lowered his head onto them, whispering, "I give up."

"No you don't." Although quietly, Han said it as a command and reached for the boy. He grabbed him and pulled him up so he was cradled across his lap. Luke was tense and acted as if he was unworthy to be hugged or held, so Han had to gently push his head onto the shoulder that he desperately needed right now. That seemed to do the trick and Luke finally relaxed a little. "You've got too many people who love and care about you." Han said. "We're all counting on you to pull through, kid." He rocked him slowly.

"Didn't you hear what I said?" The youth choked out. He was confused to say the least. The earth-shattering news didn't seem to bother Han a bit.

"Yeah, I heard." Han looked down at the tousled head doubtfully. "Not sure if I believe it, but I heard."

Luke sniffled and brought his head up. "You mean… you don't hate me for it?"

Now Han understood even more. "Now why would I hate _you_?" He brushed at Luke's cheeks. "I thought we went over this already, kid. What Vader did, Vader did. You weren't any part of it. He did what he did for his own evil reasons."

"But...I'm part of _him,_" Luke murmured. His gaze was directed at the floor.

"Like I said, I'm not so sure I believe that." Solo replied, looking thoughtful. "I still think the old wirepile might've just messed with your head." He cringed belatedly at his choice of words. Wearily, Luke put his head back on Han's shoulder, tears falling more out relief now instead of shame, and the Corellian continued. "Point is we can't chose our families. We can't help where we're from. It's who we are that counts. Take my family for instance."

Han never spoke much about his past- he'd always been pretty vague when it came to his childhood. Luke knew he was an orphan and eventually befriended Chewie, but that was about it.

Han continued, "My dad was a thief and an alcoholic, and my mom helped him steal. They never paid much attention to me. Then one day, they left me…and never came back. I was four."

"I'm sorry, Han," Luke whispered.

Han didn't reply to that. He only said, "Now do you hate me, or think less of me just 'cause I had rotten parents?"

"Of course not," Luke croaked, bringing his head up. He was beginning to see where Han was going with this.

Han put his hand under his chin. "Uh huh. Now explain to me why you think we could ever hate you."

Luke looked into hazel eyes, searching but not finding any condemnation, only care and compassion. He still felt he didn't deserve it though. The young man looked down again, brushing at his eyes, fears and uncertainties bubbling to the surface. "It's just- I'm so afraid. I'm scared I'll turn out to be like him. A-and I don't want him to hurt you or Leia again. He can sense my presence. I- I just don't know what to, Han. I'm scared."

"Hey, there's nothing to be afraid of, kid."

Luke sobbed and Han drew him close again. "Shh. There's nothin' to be afraid of. I'm here, and I'm protecting ya."

Han just held onto Luke, letting him vent. A few minutes more and the boy was quieted. He was exhausted, worn out from crying, and everything he'd been through in the past two days. He even caught himself drifting off a couple times. Han noticed, with relief. The poor kid was finally calmed down.

"C'mon, kid. You need your rest."

Luke must've fallen asleep for a little longer because the next thing he realized, Solo was standing beside his hospital bunk, draping a blanket back over him.

The youth was all but asleep as Han took a tissue and gently dried his tear-stained face. He tried to imagine an innocent face like Luke's under Vader's helmet. He couldn't.

"Just hang in there, kid. It's gonna be okay," he promised softly, brushing Luke's cheek with the back of his finger. But Luke had already drifted into a weary sleep.

Solo sank into the chair beside Luke's bed, and it wasn't long before the exhausted Corellian followed suit.

Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed. :) Comments are welcome and greatly appreciated! :)


	5. Chapter 5

Leia stayed with Luke the rest of the night, allowing Han a much needed break to sleep and refresh. Reluctant as Solo was to leave the kid's side, he knew it was important to get a least a few hours of decent sleep. Besides, if he and Leia didn't take care of themselves, who would be there to be strong for Luke? Force knew he needed that strength.

Han worried for the kid. Worried he might try and tell Leia about the whole daddy-dearest mess. One, Solo wasn't quite sure how Leia would react, and two- it just was too much for now. Luke had been so upset when he'd talked about it- he'd been in tears for the longest time.

_Don't tell her just yet, kid, _he thought. _It can wait. Wait until it all doesn't hurt so much._

Who knew when that would be. Exhausted, Solo climbed into his bunk hoping to catch at least a few hours sleep.

Han didn't have to worry about Luke spilling the news of his newly-discovered heritage though. The youth remained deep in sleep all throughout the night. Even when the med-droid came in to check his vitals, the weary young man never once so much as batted an eyelid.

Leia worried about his unresponsiveness, but Two-One-Bee assured her Luke was in a safe state of recovery.

Once reassured and realizing Luke was not going to wake up any time soon, there was little the princess could do. She spent time absently searching through channels on the holovid, sipping at the juice the med-droid had brought her and nibbling at the peanut butter crackers.

She wondered how the Alliance was holding up. She'd been so busy before with Luke, and then so tired, she really hadn't had a chance to talk to them. She mentally made a note to do that when she got back to the _Falcon._ Checking on Luke once more, who remained just the same as the last time she checked, features innocent and peaceful despite the still-healing bruises and cuts, Leia turned her attention to the Bothan reporter on the news.

Hours crept by and it wasn't long before Han was peeking in the hospital doorway, ready to take the next shift. He quietly made his way over toward the Princess.

"How is he?"

"He's holding up, according to Two-One-Bee." Leia smiled tiredly. Han could see dark circles under her eyes.

"What about you? Did you get any sleep last night?"

"About as much sleep as anybody gets in a medcenter."

"That bad, huh?" Han kissed her forehead then turned his attention to the slumbering form. His brow furrowed in concern. "He doesn't look like he's moved at all since the last time I was here."

"He hasn't." Leia was equally perplexed. "But the medics say he's fine. Just tired."

"Huh." _Poor kid._ Han was starting to wonder what all they were giving him in that IV drip. One thing good though, it didn't look like Luke had even had the chance to come clean on his supposed heritage.

"He's scheduled to have surgery in two hours. They'll be getting him ready for pre-op pretty soon."

Han only nodded. He stared at the battered youngster on the hospital bunk. Luke by no means looked strong enough to be going into surgery yet. But Han Solo was no doctor. "Oh," he said, snapping out of his daze and turning to Leia, suddenly remembering something. "Mon Mothma commed. And so did Reikkan."

"When?" Leia suddenly was businesslike.

"Just a few minutes ago. I didn't answer."

She stood quickly. "I'd better get back to them. I haven't contacted them since the evacuation."

"Get some breakfast too," Han advised.

Both of them had forgotten by now to keep their voices lower. Luke began to stir slightly. Leia came over to his bed on her way out, brushing the hair from his eyes. As she gently kissed his forehead, blue eyes fluttered open.

Han grinned. "Wouldn't you know it'd take a kiss from a princess to wake him up."

Leia laughed lightly and even Luke faintly smiled.

"How ya feeling, kid?"

The youth rubbed one eye sleepily. He looked a little better today, Han noticed. His eyes were brighter.

"Hungry," Luke finally replied, that little smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. Corellian and princess both grinned. Then Han patted his arm, expression fading into something more serious. "'Fraid you'll have to wait a while longer, pal. You're scheduled for surgery in two hours."

Luke's smile dimmed.

"Which reminds me," Leia said. "I've got to go and get back. I have some calls to make to the Alliance."

The young man paled slightly but Han put a hand on his shoulder.

"I'll be back soon, Luke" she promised, and Luke nodded. Both men watched her leave. As soon as the door had closed the younger looked up at Solo.

"I'm not gonna tell her, kid," Han promised softly, answering Luke's unvoiced fear.

Luke looked down, feeling simultaneously relieved and guilty for even wondering.

"Not unless you want me to anyways." Han moved his hand to lightly, comfortingly rub Luke's arm. He remembered how emotionally fragile the boy had been just hours ago.

"I want her to know..." Luke said quietly. "It's just… Not yet."

Before Han could think of something to say to that, there was a knock at the door. Both were surprised to see a human medic enter, dressed in dark blue scrubs. About middle age, female, pretty with blue eyes and dark brown hair that came a little past her chin, she immediately came across as sincere and friendly.

"Hi," she greeted them both with a sweet smile. "My name's Carena and I'm going to be taking you to your room for pre-op. I'm also going to be assisting with your surgery."

Luke nodded, managing a smile, but it wasn't enough to hide his growing uneasiness about the whole ordeal. He'd never had surgery before.

Carena studied the youth, saw the way his older friend subtly moved to cradle his hand. "Are you nervous?"

Luke hesitated before giving a little nod. He was. There wasn't much point in trying to hide it.

"Most patients are." Carena's smile was both knowing and understanding. "Don't be though. We're gonna take good care of you."

Luke smiled gratefully and this time it reached his eyes.

Carena looked over at Han who stood at Luke's side, hand still wrapped gently around the boy's. "You must be big brother."

Caught by surprise, Han grinned lop-sidedly, looking slightly embarrassed, then he looked down at Luke. Luke glanced up at him, eyes a strange mixture of sadness and uncertainty. Expression softening, Han gently squeezed the hand he held. Suddenly he knew exactly what to say.

"Yep." Still looking down at Luke, he smiled, answering with confidence this time, and perhaps a bit of pride. "In every way that counts."

He glanced back up at Carena, not missing the delight in the kid's eyes.

Soon another medic entered with a hover bed and Carena helped Luke climb onto it before covering him with a warm blanket. Luke received it gratefully. Even in his long-sleeved white pajama pants and tunic he was freezing.

The nurse must've known because she took the other folded blanket from the foot of the bed and draped it over him too. Moving behind the head of the bed where the control panel was she added, "C'mon, big brother. You can come too."

Han smirked again at that. He moved to walk alongside the bed, smiling when Luke's hand reached for him, wrapped weakly around his fingers. Luke really was his "little brother". It scared Solo to think of how close he came to losing him.

The halls were fairly empty and quiet for a medcenter but as Carena got Luke situated in his new room the com unit in her pocket beeped incessantly. She thumbed it on.

"Attention staff, we have a code black emergency. Please report to the designated area."

Carena tensed, suddenly pale, before promptly collecting herself. "Excuse me just one second." She tried to smile encouragingly, but neither Han nor Luke was fooled.

The door closed. Sitting up, Luke glanced worriedly at the other. "What's a code black?"

"I'm not exactly sure." Han replied, still staring at the door. He moved to retrieve his own comlink from his pocket, thumbed the switch.

"Leia? …Where are you?"

Luke was watching Han attentively.

"Well just stay put alright? The medcenter just issued a code black. I dunno what that is do you? …Yeah, they moved him into another room for pre-op." Han looked at Luke.

"He's fine. I'm with him." He brushed a wisp of hair from the kid's eyes instead of ruffling it like he normally would have. He knew when to move slowly and be gentle. "I just don't like the looks of things right now, so I'd feel better if you just stay with Chewie, Sweetheart."

Luke's attention was split between Han and the commotion in the hallway. He could've sworn someone had said Imperials.

"… Uh huh… I'll com you when I know more. And let me know if you hear anything."

Solo glanced at the chrono on the wall as he thumbed off the device.

"What's going on Han?"

"I dunno, kid." Han patted Luke's knee reassuringly as he moved towards the door. "But I'm about to find out. This is getting ridiculous." It'd been fifteen minutes since that nurse had left. Palming open the door, Solo peered cautiously out into the hallway. It didn't look like the same hallway he'd walked down mere minutes ago though.

Chaos had erupted. Medics, nurses and droids were everywhere. Security guards were giving orders, people were having hushed conversations in every corner, several of the staff members were gathered around a large desk in the center, but there was no sign of Carena. An alarm started to sound down the corridor.

Luke sat up further, attempting to see around the tall Corellian. "Han, what's happening?"

Solo stood on tiptoes, still trying to locate Luke's nurse, or _someone_ who could tell him what was going on. Carena surprised him when she came from behind.

"I'm sorry," she apologized. "I didn't mean to leave you both waiting like that." She still tried to maintain the façade that nothing was wrong as she made her way over to Luke. "Here Sweetie, here's some juice. I know you're probably really hungry right now, but let's start off with this."

Perplexed, Luke accepted the container with a hand he was unable to completely steady as he looked to Han, not understanding.

"We're going to postpone his surgery for a little while," she explained. "Something urgent's come up and we feel it'd be better to wait."

"What exactly happened?" Han was getting a bit sick of this "everything's top-secret" business.

Carena looked reluctant. She paused but surprised Solo by continuing, "Our security intercepted a small shuttle. Vader and a few Imperials were trying to break in. Security says he tracked some ship here."

Fear flickered in hazel eyes and features quickly hardened in attempt to hide it. Ever perceptive, Carena noticed.

"Vader's looking for someone," she continued. "And we all know he's pretty intent on getting his way." She laughed a bit uncertainly. "But everything's under control. We're just taking precautions."

Her com beeped again. "Staff, please report immediately to your designated area."

"I'm sorry," she apologized again and slipped out the door.

Meanwhile Luke could no longer hold back his tears. He choked on a sob he'd tried so hard to suppress, only succeeding in making things worse. Han was beside him in an instant.

"Here, kid," he said gently, taking the container of juice Luke still had clutched in his trembling hand. He set it aside before taking Luke into his arms. The frightened youth wept with increasing intensity as he held onto Solo. He'd been as emotionally delicate as a house of flimsi-cards lately- and rightly so. "Don't cry."

Luke couldn't help but be afraid though. Vader knew where he was. Everyone was going to find out the truth. Han and Leia were in danger. Everyone was in danger because of _him_.

"He knows I'm here, Han," Luke choked, tears spilling down his bruised cheeks. "It's all my f-fault."

"None of this is your fault." Solo rubbed his back. He broke away long enough to grab a couple tissues from the small table beside him. "Here." He handed them to Luke before taking him back into his arms again. "It's okay." He felt strangely helpless. How had Vader tracked them here? Where in the world were they supposed to go?

There was a quick knock at the door and promptly Carena entered. "I was quicker this time," she said cheerfully but broke off her next sentence at the sight before her. Confusion and concern replaced her smile.

"He's alright," Solo assured her. "Just a little scared."

The nurse came over towards them catching sight of Luke's tear-streaked face as he clung to his brother. "Honey, there's nothing to be scared about. We've got everything under control."

She said to Han, "I brought him a snack. He should try and eat something." Noticing the juice container on the table, still unopened, she went to retrieve it.

"He's been too upset."

"I just don't want him getting dehydrated." She lightly laid a hand on the blond head. "You'll feel better if you drink something."

Luke nodded and Han took the tissues from the boy's hand and proceeded to gently dry his face. Carena opened the juice container and package of crackers, listening to Luke sniffle as Solo tended to him.

Luke slowly began to feel a little better. The cold fruit juice Han helped him to sip tasted wonderful- he hadn't drank or eaten anything since Bespin. He found himself wanting to gulp down the whole thing much to Carena's delight. He even managed to eat a few crackers.

"Better?" the nurse asked, and Luke nodded slightly, gratefully, still very quiet. He sagged weakly against Solo, who lightly rubbed his back.

Carena studied the two brothers for a moment. They didn't look much alike at all, but their actions spoke volumes of the bond between them. The way the older stayed close by, protective, and the way the younger trusted him wholeheartedly, clung to his presence; the two had definitely been through a lot together.

"As soon as all the mess clears up out there, I'll get him back to his room."

Han nodded gratefully and Carena started towards the door. Not two seconds after she left, Han's comlink chirped. It was Leia.

"Han." The princess's voice sounded breathless, stunned. "Vader's ship was just destroyed."

* * *

to be continued...

Thanks for reading this awful thing. (hugs) Reviews greatly appreciated!


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